Chinese theatre underwent a great experiment under the cultural revolution. Using the reformed Beijing operas as models, the whole range of theatre arts, from straight plays to acrobatics and from ballet to ballads saw a profound transformation. Alongside the professional theatre, an upsurge of workers’ and peasants’ amateur theatre stimulated new developments.
This book, first published in 1978, sketches the historical background to these changes and offers a factual survey of the main forms and characteristics of Chinese theatre at the time. It traces the rise of the new drama since 1949 and explores the political principles underlying the reforms. It examines the new amateur theatre and describes typical plays and operas staged in China.
1. Historical Background 2. The Forms of Theatre 3. Characteristics of Contemporary Chinese Theatre 4. The Plays of 1949-65 5. Cultural Revolution in the Theatre, and After 6. New Workers’ and Peasants’ Amateur Theatre 7. New Professional Productions 8. Conclusion and Trends for the Future
Biography
Roger Howard
